AP Environmental Science 2015 Summer Assignment

Ms. Williams

HELP!!! I am available at awilliams@pallottihs.org

Do not expect an immediate response. However, you will receive a response within one week.

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS:

Part I: The Environment in the News

This table on environmental issues in the news must be filled out WEEKLY.

The final table is due via EMAIL ATTACHMENT ONLY by midnight on Sunday,

August 23rd.

Part II: Study questions for Unit 1 (Chapters 1 & 2). These must be submitted as hard copies

ONLY and are due on the first day of class.

SUGGESTED ASSIGNMENT PACING (not required)

Week of . . . Try to complete . . . June 14th Article 1, Chapter 1 SQ’s 1-4 June 21st Article 2, Ch 1 SQ’s 5-8 June 28th Article 3, Ch 1 SQ’s 9-12 July 5th Article 4, Ch 1 SQ’s 13-15 July 12th Article 5, Ch 1 Case Studies July 19th Article 6, Ch 2 SQ’s 1-4 July 26th Article 7, Ch 2 SQ’s 5-8 August 2nd Article 8, Ch 2 SQ’s 9-12 August 9th Article 9, Ch 2 SQ 13 & Case Studies August 16th Article 10, Review all SQ’s & Case Studies

Part I1: The Environment in the News One of my main goals for you this year is that you will look at the world around you in a more meaningful way. I

hope that all of the conventional thoughts that you have had about nature will be challenged and that your appreciation for

the “interconnectedness” of man and nature will deepen. To begin this process, you need to start reading and become

familiar with current environmental issues and problems or solutions.

Synopsis of Article:

The following points need to be included in your 3 sentence synopsis:

1. Statement of environmental issue or problem

2. Brief review of article

Suggested Topics by category: You may NOT use a topic more than 2 times

Air: Air quality, air pollution, sources of air pollution

Water: Chesapeake Bay, Other bodies of water (rivers, streams, lakes, oceans), Water Pollution

Irrigation, Diversion/Dam Projects, Aquaculture

Soil: Land Use, Food/Agriculture, Pollution: Hazardous wastes, Dumps/landfills

Pests/Pesticides

Biodiversity Endangered Species, Invasive Species & Non-native species, New Species

Habitat loss/destruction, Genetic diversity

Energy: Renewable/Alternative Energy Resources: Solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen;

Non-renewable Resources: Oil, natural gas, Coal; OPEC/Gas Prices;

Nuclear Energy: Pro/Con, Security & Safety Issues; Efficiency: Appliances, Automobiles, Houses

Weather: Extreme weather events, Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, etc., Climate/Climate Change,

Geologic Events: Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami’s

Human Health: Human populations, Population change (local or global), Disease epidemics,

Diseases: HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, SARS, West Nile, Bird Flu, Toxicology (poisons & humans)

Environmental Laws and Regulations EPA, Local, State & Federal Laws, Fines or Penalties

Cases in the news

Environment and Economy: Businesses and their environmental practices (either positive or negative)

Environment and Design: Innovations in building or design of homes, appliances, automobiles, etc. that

make them more environmentally friendly

The Environment in the News Type your information into this table and email it as an attachment by midnight on Sunday, August 23rd.

Week of . . . Date Topic & Source

(link or description)

Synopsis

June 14th

June 21st

June 28th

July 5th

July 12th

July 19th

July 26th

August 2nd

August 9th

August 16th

Part III, Unit 1 (Chapters 1 & 2) from Miller: Living in the Environment

Vocabulary: Review key vocabulary. Vocabulary terms will appear in tests and quizzes. You are not required to

write out the definitions, but are encouraged to review them regularly.

Questions: For each chapter. . .

1. For each of the Case Studies, complete the following:

a. What is the author's main idea? Support with two specific examples.

b. Summarize the case study in three sentences.

c. What ecological lesson can we learn from the case study?

d. What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree?

2. Answer each Study Guide Question. The questions may be vocabulary-based so pay attention and

use examples of the terms in your answers to the questions. Also examine the figures as they often

add information that is not written in the text. For questions that are not vocabulary based, support

your answer with three pieces of evidence or detail. You may number these if you wish. Examples

are below.

Example 1 (vocabulary based):

What is the difference between environment, ecology, and environmental science?

Answer: The environment is anything that affects any living being. Ecology is a combination of the

environment and the living things living in the environment. Environmental science is the study of

things that affect the environment and ecological systems. Many of these human things that affect the

environment have cultural roots.

Example 2 (non-vocabulary based)

What major human cultural changes have taken place?

1. Humans were mostly hunter-gatherers (gathered food for survival) up until about 12,000 years ago.

2. Three changes have occurred since then: the agricultural revolution, the industrial-medical

revolution and the information and globalization revolution.

3. These changes have increased our impact on the environment by giving us more energy and new

technology, allowed expansion of the human population and increased our resource use, pollution

and environmental degradation.

Grading: You will be graded on thoroughness, and the relative accuracy of your answer. I am a big fan of

rubrics and grade all homework assignments and projects using rubrics. One thing you may be surprised about

is that to get a 100%, you have to do a little more than what is explicitly requested of you. Read through the

rubric before and after you are finished your assignment. You will get the grade you want when I get the work

that I expect. The rubric tells you what I expect.

NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. Each

synopsis and description on this project must be the product of your own ideas, not simply a paraphrase of

someone else’s ideas. “Someone else” includes professionals as well as your classmates. Anyone caught

plagiarizing will receive a “0” for this assignment and will be turned in on a referral to the administration.

Unit 1: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Vocabulary:

Directions: Review key vocabulary, words may appear in quizzes and/or tests. You are not required to write the

definitions but are encouraged to review them online

Chapter 1 biodiversity

biodegradable pollutants

developed countries

developing countries

ecological footprint

ecological tipping point

economic development

economic growth

environment

environmental degradation

environmental ethics

environmental science

environmentally sustainable society

exponential growth

gross domestic product (GDP)

input pollution control

less-developed countries

more-developed countries

natural capital

natural income

natural resources

natural services

nondegradable pollutants

nonpoint sources

nonrenewable resources

output pollution control

per capita ecological footprint

per capita GDP

perpetual resource

point sources

pollution

pollution cleanup

pollution prevention

poverty

recycling

renewable resource

resource

reuse

sustainability

sustainable yield

Chapter 2 acidity

atomic number

atom

atomic theory

cells

chemical change

chemical element

chemical formula

chemical reaction

chromosome

compounds

data

electromagnetic radiation

electrons

elements

energy

energy quality

feedback loop

first law of thermodynamics

fossil fuels

frontier science

heat

high-quality energy

high-quality matter

inorganic compounds

inputs

ion

isotopes

kinetic energy

law of conservation of energy

law of conservation of matter

low-quality energy

low-quality matter

mass number

matter

matter quality

model

molecule

negative feedback loop

neutrons

nuclear change

nucleus

organic compounds

peer review

pH

physical change

positive feedback loop

potential energy

protons

reliable science

science

scientific hypothesis

scientific (natural) law

scientific theory

second law of thermodynamics

synergistic interaction

synergy

system

throughputs

time delay

tipping point

Name: Date:

Study Guide Questions (SGQ):

Chapter 1

1. What is sustainability and why should we care about it?

2. What are the three principles that nature has used to sustain itself for 3.5 billion years, and how

can we use these principles to live more sustainably?

3. Describe how we can degrade natural capital and how finding solutions to environmental

problems involves making trade-offs. Explain why individuals matter in dealing with the

environmental problems we face.

4. Distinguish between more-developed countries and less-developed countries and give an example

of a high-income, a middle income and a low-income country.

5. Define and give three examples of environmental degradation (natural capital degradation).

6. What is the tragedy of the commons?

7. Compare the total and per capita ecological footprint s of the United States and China.

8. Use the ecological footprint concept to explain how we are living unsustainably.

9. What is the IPAT model for estimating our environmental impact?

10. Explain how we can use this model (IPAT) to estimate the impacts of the human populations in

less-developed countries and more developed countries.

11. Describe three major cultural changes that have occurred since humans were hunter-gatherers.

12. Identify four basic causes of the environmental problems that we face today.

13. Describe the past, current, and projected exponential growth of the world’s human population.

14. What is poverty and what are three of its harmful environmental and health effects?

15. Describe the connection between poverty and population growth.

Chapter 2

1. Describe the steps involved in the scientific process. 2. Explain why scientific theories are not to be taken lightly and why people often use the term

“theory” incorrectly.

3. Describe how a hypothesis about the decline of a civilization on Easter Island has been challenged

by new data.

4. What is matter? Distinguish between high- quality matter and low- quality matter and give an example of each.

5. Distinguish between a physical change and a chemical change (chemical reaction) and give an example of each.

6. What is a nuclear change? 7. What is energy? Distinguish between kinetic energy and potential energy and give an example of

each.

8. What are fossil fuels and what three fossil fuels do we use most to supplement energy from the

sun?

9. What is energy quality? Distinguish between high- quality energy and low- quality energy and

give an example of each.

10. What is the first law of thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy) and why is it important?

11. What is the second law of thermodynamics and why is it important? Explain why the second law

means that we can never recycle or reuse high- quality energy.

12. Define and give an example of a system

13. What is a feedback loop? Distinguish between a positive feedback loop and a negative

(corrective) feedback loop in a system, and give an example of each.

Case Studies:

Chapter 1

1. A Vision of a More Sustainable World in 2060 – page 5 2. China’s New Affluent Consumers – page 18 Chapter 2

1. How Do Scientists Learn About Nature? A Story about a Forest – page 31 2. Easter Island: Some Revisions in a Popular Environmental Story – page 35